Monday, August 20, 2007

(Dublin, Ireland) A 65-member team that set sail from Roskilde, Denmark on July 1st, arrived yesterday in Dublin. The team journeyed over 1,000 nautical miles using only oar and sail power. Christened the Havhingsten af Glendalough (The Sea Stallion of Glendalough), this reconstructed viking ship is the largest in the world, say its builders, who built it using the wood of 300 oak trees.

The Sea Stallion's return voyage was 1,000 years in the making. Originally built in Dublin in 1042, it sank 30 years later in the Roskilde fjord, south of Copenhagen. It was not excavated until 1964, and was finally completed in 2004. The aim of this journey was to address questions related to Viking ship-building and travel.

Researchers will examine film and computer data gathered during the voyage, and the vessel will be on display at Dublin's National Museum until next year, when another crew will make the return voyage home.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Bathing suits in Brazil come in two sizes: small and smaller. I spent a LOT of time looking for the former.

In the place that invented the “Brazilian” wax, a bikini is a staple.

My bathing suit from Seattle just was not going to cut it. But, where to start? Having heard the Brazilian bikinis described as either “fio dental” ( “dental floss”) or “asa delta” (“the hang glider”), I was a bit nervous. A credit card and some courage, and I was off!

One of my favorite shops was BumBum (www.bumbum.com), which is named after a slang word for “butt”, and can be found at several locations near Ipanema and Copacobana beaches, and I also really like the styles at a lovely boutique called Vanina Nemer (http://www.vaninanemer.com.br/). Has anyone else ever heard of a Trikini before?

But…(no pun intended) you don’t have to go into a shop to buy a bathing suit. They sell them just about everywhere: crocheted bikinis on the beach, cardboard boxes full of Lycra on street corners, and even at the Sunday markets.

You’ll see people of all different shapes and sizes wearing them not just at the beach, but while walking along the streets, riding bikes, shopping, and even to the restaurants.

The guys are wearing speedos. Sometimes they’ll wear them under board shorts, but they shed the shorts as soon as they hit the sand. Get used to it!

So, my best advice is to make up with confidence what your bathing suit lacks in material, and strut your stuff!

About Me

At age 16 I took my first international flight to Ireland, to compete in the World Championships of Irish Dance. Since then, my adventurous spirit has, along with getting me into a lot of fun and trouble, led me to 34 countries and counting. I’m on my fourth passport and was once proclaimed an honorary French citizen (that’s a story for another blog)!
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Adventure on!